Rachel (R’shut Cheirum Leumi), Israel’s equivalent of the Office of Emergency Management opened on Tuesday morning (Sept. 20) in the Defense Ministry towards preparing for possible widespread Arab violence throughout areas of Yehuda and Shomron.

Defense officials fear the response to the PA (Palestinian Authority) declaration of statehood in the United Nations will be a violent one, and the IDF and other agencies have been preparing and coordinating for such an eventuality over recent weeks.

The office will serve as command center; monitoring all of Yehuda and Shomron, directing events should violence erupt, as is expected. Minister of Homefront Affairs Matan Vilnai recently held a meeting to verify readiness of the appropriate agencies and commanders. The Rachel Response Center will operate 24/7.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)